If successfully funded on Kickstarter, the Sedgwick could become the most affordable DLP 3D printer on the market (if you don’t count the LittleDLPer – potentially priced at $500 – which has changed its name to the LittlSLA). Currently funded at almost 50% of its $35,000 goal, the Sedgwick uses a projector to throw patterns of light onto layers of UV curable resin. Normally priced far above $1k, DLP machines often boast high resolutions and print speeds. Though the $399 early bird packages for this 3D printer have all sold out, you can still purchase the Sedgwick for upwards of $524.
What differentiates the Sedwick from other DLP machines is that, rather than lifting a print upwards from a vat of resin and working against gravity, it lowers a print layer by layer into the vat. Depending on the size of the vat used, the machine is capable of printing objects of the following dimensions:
- Small vat: 76.8 mm x 76.8 mm x 50 mm / 3 in x 3 in x 2 in.
- Medium vat: 76.8 mm x 76.8 mm x 127 mm / 3 in x 3 in x 5 in.
- Large vat: 102.4 mm x 76.8 mm x 127 mm / 3 in x 4 in x 5 in.
Using any resin designed for DLP or SLA 3D printing, the Sedgwick is capable of 3D printing objects with up to a .1 mm (100 micron) resolution. In this regard, the printer is not quite as capable as other DLP competitors and is more comparable to FFF/FDM machines. The Stalactite DLP printer, which was funded on Indiegogo recently, claims a resolution of 25 microns, while the MakerBot Replicator 2 is capable of layer thicknesses of 100 microns. The print speed of the Sedgwick is about 10-15 seconds per layer with layer thicknesses of .1 mm, resulting in about 20 minutes per cm or 3 cm/hr. This seems to compare to other DLP printers out there, with the Titan 1 (recently funded on Kickstarter) boasting a print speed of about 1.3 inches (3.3 cm) per hour. Quite uniquely, though, the Sedgwick has a built-in desktop to place a laptop to control your printer.
Sedgwick the 3D Printer (not to be confused with Cedric the Entertainer) still looks like quite a capable machine for the price. If you missed the early bird backing, you can purchase a Sedgwick kit (without projector) for $524. Pay $904 and you can buy the kit with the projector. For $1379, you purchase an assembled printer, complete with projector, pushing the Sedgwick closer to the prices of its competitors. Depending on your handiness, the Sedgwick might be a cheap, simple, and quick 3D printer worthy of its low price tag. If you need more convincing, you can watch the video below or visit the Kickstarter.
Source: Kickstarter
